• McBookie West Region
• Super League Premier Division
• Match 16
• Loch Park, New Cumnock
• Saturday 21st April 2018
• GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 0 (0)
• CUMNOCK JUNIORS 2 (1)
  • Anson (2)

Free flowing football was seldom on show on a difficult pitch and in a game peppered with free kicks which players and supporters alike had often to wait to see which team the referee was penalising.

Glens forced the first corner kick of the game on 8 minutes after Ally Park’s attempted cross from tight on the right was deflected wide. Kyle McAusland’s header from Jamie McKernon’s header looped safely into the hands of former Glens goalie Ally Semple.

Cumnock were having little joy with high balls as Ryan McChesney dominated the aerial battles against striker Scott Anson. On 14 minutes Raymond Montgomerie tried a different approach as he picked up a cute pass from Mark McKenzie at the edge of the box but his shot sailed high and wide of the target.

At the other end Ryan Borris pounced on a Cumnock clearance but Semple was alert to his speculative shot from 25 yards and got down low to push the ball wide for a corner-kick. Anson won this aerial battle to head the ball clear only for it to fall for Dale Moore wand although the Glens midfield did well to strike the ball cleanly from distance through a ruck of players the shot lacked power to test Semple.

The game then entered into a prolonged period of scrappy play where despite the endeavours from both sides there was no end product, as they say.

On 27 minutes fine play by the lively McKenzie at the edge of the box had him evade a trio of defenders before slipping the ball for the incoming Anson to drill a low angled shot that was deflected wide for the visitors first corner-kick. The delivery was headed on at the near post by Richard Murray but Anson miscued his attempt to bury the loose ball and Park cleared the danger.

Dallas and Borris then combined well on the right to allow the latter to give two defenders the slip and drive to the bye line before whipping the ball into the six-yard box for the incoming Mick McCann but instead Murray’s intervening header fell for Cammy Marlow only for his shot to be blocked.

Glens continued to press and Moore tried to his luck from distance and although Semple spilled the shot he quickly fell on the ball to deny the inrushing Dallas the chance of putting away the rebound.

Ten minutes from the break James Hilton’s pass into the box looked to have set McKenzie up but defender Alan Cairns’ presence prevented the striker from fashioning a clean shot at goal and keeper Brian McGarrity rushed to snap up the loose ball as Anson advanced.

Back came Glens and a long throw into a packed box was scrambled clear enabling Hilton to push forward to the centre circle and although his pass went astray he was caught late by McKernon, earning the midfielder a yellow card and the visitors a free-kick. Del Elspin floated the ball into the heart of the box and Scott Anson, having come out second best in aerial battles with McChesney throughout the game, opted to keep his feet on the ground and stooped to glance a perfectly guided header beyond the reach of McGarrity. The visitors 1-0 up on 40 minutes.

H/T Glens 0 Cumnock 1

McChesney emerged from the club house with an ice pack on the back of his neck and three minutes later after his first header of the half his game was over and on came Iain McKnight in his place. The young centre-back was soon in the thick of it heading clear a free kick floated into the back post.

At the other end Dallas won a header deep in the Cumnock box but Murray was on hand to clear the lines.

On 53 minutes Cumnock’s first corner of the half was punched clear by McGarrity and two minutes later Park did enough to put Anson off a short- range shot, after picking up another fine pass from McKenzie. The visitors continued to press. Another corner-kick came and went before McKenzie floated the ball into the six-yard box where McKnight bet Anson to the jump at the expense of a further corner. Anson won a free header at the near post but the ball flew straight into the welcoming hands of McGarrity.

Some respite for the Glens on the hour mark with a long ball upfield for Dallas to chase only for the offside flag to be quickly followed by a yellow card for kicking the ball away!

Glens brought on Darren McGill for Ryan Borris as they went in search of an equaliser. Dallas tried his luck from just outside the ‘D’ but the ball sailed over the bar. A minute later the striker burst through the space between James Lundie and Murray to progress to the right-hand corner of the penalty box before lashing the ball that again flew high and wide of target.

Back came Cumnock with a free-kick taken inches from the right-hand corner flag. It was floated to the back post for Anson to head it back across the face of goal for Lundie, who was being marked by Park, but it was McGarrity who came out on top as he leapt to clutch the ball.

Midway through the half Cumnock doubled their lead. Semple launched the ball upfield and McKnight, at the edge of the box, beat Anson to the jump sending the ball high into the air which was then headed clear by McAusland only to be snapped up Jamie Bannantyne who whipped a great ball into the middle where Scott Anson in space sent a powerful downward header that despite McGarrity’s effort ended up in the net.

The home side brought on striker Joe Andrew for midfielder Cameron Marlow.

However, it was Cumnock that continued to look the livelier and on 77 minutes Anson passed up the chance of a hat-trick after his low-angled shot from close range lacked the power to test McGarrity. A minute later the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Stevie Crawford earned a second yellow card for time-wasting; bizarrely twice refusing to catch a ball that was thrown to him to take a throw in!

Andrew played a neat pass for Dallas to chase down in the box and although he held off defender Kieran Wood his shot was blocked by the knees of Semple rushing from his line. Back came Andrew to drive into the right hand side of the box and whip the ball across the face of goal but there were no takers other than the thankful Semple with a simple save.

In the closing minute Glens won three successive corner-kicks before the handshakes.

F/T Glens 0 Cumnock 2

Glenafton Athletic: 1. Brian McGarrity 2. Ally Park 3. Alan Cairns 4. Kyle McAusland 5. Ryan McChesney (14. Iain McKnight) 6. Jamie McKernon 7. Ryan Borris ( 15. Darren McGill) 8. Cameron Marlow (12. Joe Andrew) 9. Chris Dallas 10. Mick McCann 11. Dale Moore. Subs not used: 16. Connor Lynass 17.Scott Watson (gk)

Cumnock Juniors: 1. Ally Semple 2. Keiran Wood 3. Jamie Bannatyne 4. James Lundie 5. Richard Murray 6. Stevie Crawford 7. Ray Montgomerie 8. Del Esplin 9. Scott Anson 10. Mark McKenzie 11. James Hilton Subs. Barr, Medhurst, Hunter, Martin, Johnson